Alleged Brown University Shooter Only Took Classes in Building Where Shooting Occurred, Says School President

Brown University President Christina H. Paxson has clarified that the man identified as the alleged shooter in last week's deadly campus attack had only a limited and highly specific connection to the university.

In a recent statement, the President said that the suspect was attending classes exclusively in the same building where the shooting later unfolded.

The statement came Thursday evening, hours after authorities confirmed that Claudio Manuel Neves Valente, a former Brown graduate student and the person of interest in the 13 December shooting, was found dead in a storage unit in Salem, New Hampshire, from what police described as self-inflicted gunshot wounds.

President Says Shooter Has No Affiliation With Brown

In a recently held press conference, Paxson said Neves Valente had been enrolled as a graduate student in physics from 2000 to 2003 and took classes primarily in the Barus and Holley Engineering Building — the same place where two students were killed and nine others injured during final exam week.

'I think it's safe to assume that this man, when he was a student, spent a great deal
of time in that building for classes and other activities as a PhD student in physics,' Paxson said during the press conference, adding that there were no known ongoing ties between Neves Valente and the university, and that he was not employed by or affiliated with Brown in any capacity beyond his enrollment more than two decades ago.

Deadly Shooting During Final Exams

The shooting occurred on 13 December at approximately 4 p.m., when a lone gunman entered the Barus and Holley Building, which houses Brown's engineering school and physics department. Authorities said the attacker opened fire inside an auditorium during a study session, killing two students and wounding nine others before fleeing the scene.

Brown issued an emergency alert shortly after the gunfire began, placing the campus under lockdown. More than 400 law enforcement officers from local, state, and federal agencies responded, including the FBI and ATF. The campus remained closed overnight as investigators searched for the suspect.

The victims were later identified as 18-year-old Mukhammad Aziz Umurzokov and 19-year-old Ella Cook. According to reports, University officials have cancelled all remaining fall semester classes and exams in the days that followed, as candlelight vigils were held across Providence.

Suspect Found Dead as Investigation Expands

On 18 December, authorities announced that Neves Valente, a 48-year-old Portuguese national, had been located in New Hampshire following an intensive multi-state manhunt. Police said they were executing an arrest warrant when they discovered his body inside a rented storage unit.

Officials also revealed a significant shift in the investigation. In a recent development, it was discovered that the Brown University shooting is now believed to be connected to the killing of MIT professor Nuno Loureiro, who was found dead at his home in Brookline, Massachusetts, two days after the campus attack.

Earlier in the week, the FBI had said there appeared to be no link between the two cases. However, authorities later confirmed that a vehicle rented by Neves Valente matched the make and model identified in the MIT homicide investigation.

Campus Response and Ongoing Recovery

As of 18 December, several of the injured students had been discharged from the hospital, while others remained in stable condition. Brown has reportedly expanded counselling services, increased campus security, and delayed early decision admissions by 48 hours in response to the tragedy.

University officials have repeatedly urged against speculation, stressing that the investigation is ongoing and that conclusions about motive have not been finalised.

'This was an act of profound violence that has shaken our community,' Paxson stated. 'We continue to grieve with the families who lost loved ones and support those who are recovering.'

Meanwhile, the shooting marks one of the deadliest campus attacks in the US this year and has renewed calls from advocacy groups for stronger gun violence prevention measures, particularly as the country approaches the anniversary of the Sandy Hook school shooting.